And while the team hopes to have Teixeira back early next month, Youkilis will miss at least 10 to 12 weeks.

The corner infielder has a herniated disk and is scheduled for surgery Thursday in California.

‘‘It doesn’t look like he will be a player for us until late September,’’ manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday.

Tuesday night’s game between the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers was postponed by rain. It will be made up as a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.

Youkilis signed a $12 million, one-year contract with New York as a free agent in December to fill in at third base for Alex Rodriguez, who is recovering from hip surgery.

But the three-time All-Star has played in only 28 games and batted .219 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

‘‘It’s not how you draw it up, there’s no doubt about that,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said. ‘‘He looked great in the spring. He obviously did so much for Boston over the years and he’s the type of player that if you could draw it up, that’s the type of player we would want: a gamer with power and plate discipline.’’

Youkilis was sidelined from April 28 to May 30 with a lumbar spine sprain.

He returned for a couple of weeks before complaining of discomfort again after an 18-inning loss in Oakland last Thursday.

He went back on the disabled list Friday and was examined in California by Dr. Robert Watkins, a noted back specialist.

‘‘He had played four days in a row and I think it was something he had and it just manifested itself,’’ Girardi said.

An MRI showed the herniated disk, and Watkins will perform the operation.

‘‘At least Dr. Watkins found what was ailing him,’’ Cashman said, adding the club plans to go with what it has on the roster until Rodriguez is ready to play third again.

That means rookie David Adams is likely to get an extended opportunity at the hot corner.

Adams is batting .213 with two homers and seven RBIs.

‘‘The timetable for Alex was after the All-Star break and hopefully that is still the case. We just need people to step up in the meantime,’’ Girardi said.

Of course, the Yankees also are missing injured shortstop Derek Jeter and his backup, Eduardo Nunez, along with outfielder Curtis Granderson, catcher Francisco Cervelli, and pitcher Michael Pineda.

Granderson returned from a broken right wrist in mid-May only to get hit by another pitch days later and land on the DL on May 25 with a broken knuckle on his left hand.

New York has used the disabled list 16 times this season, one shy of last year’s total.

Teixeira missed the first 53 games because of a torn sheath in his right wrist.

Both he and Youkilis returned from their DL stints on May 31.

The switch-hitting first baseman got off to an encouraging start when he came back, but has slumped to a .151 average with three home runs and 12 RBIs in 53 at-bats.

‘‘I believe he was healthy when he came back. It could have been just the swings, the games, that got to him a little bit,’’ Girardi said.